Dehumidifying coin tube



June 2, 1964 c. FRANK DEHUMIDIFYING COIN TUBE Filed March 9, 1962INVENTOR.

ATTOENE Y5 CHAlzuss F RANK United States Patent 3,135,566 DEHUMIDIFYIN GCOIN TUBE Charles Frank, 435 New Lots Ave., Brooklyn 7, NY. Filed Mar.9, 1962, Ser. No. 178,676 3 Claims. (Cl. 312-31) This invention'relatesto a coin container, and particularly to a cylindrical container ofsolid, permanent construction with a removable sealing cap, and areservoir adapted to hold a desiccant.

' In numismatic practice, it is desirable, especially from the dealersstandpoint, that uncirculated coins be kept from tarnishing orcorroding, as from electrolytic action of moisture, so that they willretain their brilliance, and hence their full value.

It is therefore a general object of the invention to provide a means forisolating coins from corrosive action. More particularly, it is anobject to provide a rigid, moisture-imprevious container, adapted forrepeated use, and also adapted to hold a desiccant.

Another object is to provide for visual detection of the degree ofsaturation of the desiccant.

It is also among the objects to provide a coin holder as aforesaid,which is simple in structure, yet rugged in use, and which is low incost and easy of manufacture.

These and other ends, which will be apparent, are attained by thepresent invention, a preferred embodiment of which is described in thefollowing specification, as illustrated in the drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the container, with the closure cap inplace. v

FIGURE 2 is an axial sectional view of the container, taken on the planeof the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken on the plane of the line 33 of FIGURE2.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional View taken on the plane of the line 4-4 ofFIGURE 2.

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken on the plane of the line 55 of FIGURE2.

FIGURE 6 is a perspective, bracketed view, showing the parts of thecontainer of FIGURE 1, in exploded form.

Referring to the drawing by characters of reference, there is shown acylindrical, tubular container 10, of integral construction, andgenerally uniform bore and provided with a closure cap 12. Thecontainer, which is conveniently fabricated from suitable, transparent,plastic material, has an integral bottom 14, slightly elevated above thelower edge of the container, and, at a short distance above the bottom,an integral, annular shelf 16 protrudes inwardly of the container cavityto define a lower compartment, adapted to hold a quantity of desiccant18, such as granules of silica gel, impregnated with cobalt chloride,which changes color with relative humidity. For retaining the desiccantin its compartment, while permitting access with the atmosphere of thecontainer proper, a circular screen 20 is mounted on the shelf 16, beingretained by an annular ring or washer 22, of rubbery material, such assynthetic rubber, preferably of Shore A durometer hardness 40 to 50, andwhich has a friction fit with the inner wall of the main compartment ofthe container 10.

For receiving and retaining the cap 12, the tube 10 has an annular,outer, channel groove 24, and an annular, rabbeted groove 26 at theouter corner of its top edge, and to the same depth as groove 24, thetwo grooves be-. ing separated by an annular rib 28, of rectangularcross section, which rib is cut away at diametrically oppositepositions, to provide slots 30, 32, at the same depth as the twogrooves, and providing communication between them. As seen in FIGURE 2,the outer diameter of rib 28 is less than the diameter of tube 10. Thisarrangement on the tube provides coacting elements in a bayonet jointconnection with the cap 12, which for this purpose has an internalcavity with cylindrical wall 34, sized for a sliding fit over rib 28,and carrying, at its lower end, a pair of radially inwardly directedears 36, 38, adapted to be slid downward through the slots 30, 32 andthereafter moved into locking position, under the rib 28, by a quarterturn of the cap 12. For resiliently holding the cap in locked position,a washer 40, preferably of synthetic rubber, or urethane foam, and about10 to 15 durometer hardness, is provided for positioning on the top edgeof the tube 10, being of a thickness whereby it is in a somewhatcompressed condition when the cap is locked in place. Thus, it not onlyserves to retain the cap against accidental dislodgment, but alsorenders the cap connection moisture impervious.

The container is shown as holding a plurality of United States coins,42, of one-cent denomination. Preferably each tube will carry anindicium of the particular coin denomination accommodated, as indicatedby the word cents, shown on the cap 12 in FIGURES 1, 4 and 6. Since thecontainer is transparent throughout, this indicium may be imprinted, orengraved intaglio during molding, on the under face of the cap. Also,due to the transparency, the degree of saturation of the desiccant, asindicated by its color, will be manifest at all times, so thatreplacement may be effected before deterioration sets in.

While a certain preferred embodiment has been shown and described,various modifications will be apparent, in the light of this disclosure,and the invention should not, therefore, be deemed as limited, exceptinsofar as shall 7 appear from the spirt and scope of the appendedclaims.

What is claimed is:

1. A desiccating coin holder comprising a cylindrical tube oftransparent, plastic material, having a cavity of uniform bore, with aradially inwardly extending annular shelf adjacent the bottom thereof, adesiccant in said cavity, below said shelf, a circular screen supportedon said shelf, a washer or rubbery material on said screen, andfrictionally engaging the wall of said cavity, said tube having an outerannular groove near its top, an outer peripheral rabbet in its top rimwith a radial depth equal to that of the groove, and defining, with thegroove, an annular, outer rib on the tube, said rib being of lesserouter diameter than said tube, said rib having a pair of diametricallyopposite slots, extending to the depth of said groove, and a cylindricalcap of transparent, plastic material, having a closed top, and a skirtwith an outer diameter equal to that of said tube, and an inner diameterslidably fitting over said rib, a pair of radially inwardly extendingears on said skirt passing through said slots and engaging under saidrib, and a washer of rubbery material between the top rim of said tube,and the inner face of the top of said cap, said latter washer being of athickness whereby it is under compression when the cap is locked inposition on the tube.

2. A desiccating coin holder comprising a cylindrical tube having acavity with a radially inwardly extending annular shelf adjacent thebottom thereof, a desiccant in said cavity, below said shelf, a screensupported on said shelf, a washer of rubbery material on said screen,said tube having an outer annular groove near its top, an outerperipheral rabbet in its top rim with a radial depth equal to that ofthe groove and defining with the groove, an annular, outer rib on thetube, said rib being of lesser outer diameter than said tube, said ribhaving a pair of diametrically opposite slots, extending to the depth ofsaid groove, and a cylindrical cap having a closed top, and a skirt withan outer diameter equal to that of said tube, and an inner diameterslidably fitting over said rib, a

3 pair of radially inwardly extending ears on said skirt, passingthrough said slots and engaging under said rib, and a washer of rubberymaterial between the top rim of said tube, and the inner face of the topof said cap.

3. A desiccating coin holder comprising a cylindrical tube having acavity with a radially inwardly extending annular shelf adjacent thebottom thereof, a desiccant in said cavity, below said shelf, a screensupported on said shelf, a washer of rubbery material on said screen,said tube having an outer annular groove near its top, an outerperipheral rabbet in its top rim defining with the groove an annularouter rib on the tube, said rib having a pair of diametrically oppositeslots, and a cylindrical cap having a closed top, and a skirt with aninner diameter slidably fitting over said rib, a pair of radiallyinwardly extending ears on said skirt, passing through said slots andengaging under said rib, and a washer of rubberymaterial between the toprim of said tube, and the inner face of the top of said cap.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

1. A DESICCATING COIN HOLDER COMPRISING A CYLINDRICAL TUBE OFTRANSPARENT, PLASTIC MATERIAL, HAVING A CAVITY OF UNIFORM BORE, WITH ARADIALLY INWARDLY EXTENDING ANNULAR SHELF ADJACENT THE BOTTOM THEREOF, ADESICCANT IN SAID CAVITY, BELOW SAID SHELF, A CIRCULAR SCREEN SUPPORTEDON SAID SHELF, A WASHER OR RUBBERY MATERIAL ON SAID SCREEN, ANDFRICTIONALLY ENGAGING THE WALL OF SAID CAVITY, SAID TUBE HAVING AN OUTERANNULAR GROOVE NEAR ITS TOP, AN OUTER PERIPHERAL RABBET IN ITS TOP RIMWITH A RADIAL DEPTH EQUAL TO THAT OF THE GROOVE, AND DEFINING, WITH THEGROOVE, AN ANNULAR, OUTER RIB ON THE TUBE, SAID RIB BEING OF LESSEROUTER DIAMETER THAN SAID TUBE, SAID RIB HAVING A PAIR OF DIAMETRICALLYOPPOSITE SLOTS, EXTENDING TO THE DEPTH OF SAID GROOVE, AND A CYLINDRICALCAP OF TRANSPARENT, PLASTIC MATERIAL, HAVING A CLOSED TOP, AND A SKIRTWITH AN OUTER DIAMETER EQUAL TO THAT OF SAID TUBE, AND AN INNER DIAMETERSLIDABLY FITTING OVER SAID RIB, A PAIR OF RADIALLY INWARDLY EXTENDINGEARS ON SAID SKIRT PASSING THROUGH SAID SLOTS AND ENGAGING UNDER SAIDRIB, AND A WASHER OF RUBBERY MATERIAL BETWEEN THE TOP RIM OF SAID TUBE,AND THE INNER FACE OF THE TOP OF SAID CAP, SAID LATTER WASHER BEING OF ATHICKNESS WHEREBY IT IS UNDER COMPRESSION WHEN THE CAP IS LOCKED INPOSITION ON THE TUBE.